Lahore, London: Salman Iftikhar, a British-Pakistani businessman and the husband of former model Abeer Iftikhar, has been sentenced to 15 months in prison by a UK court. He was convicted of making threats to kill and racially aggravated harassment against a flight attendant during a flight from London to Lahore.
The incident took place on February 7, 2023, during an eight-hour journey from London's Heathrow Airport. Court details revealed that Iftikhar, who had been drinking champagne, made a series of vile threats against the flight attendant, Ms. Walsh.
He allegedly told her she would be taken from her hotel room, gang-raped, and set on fire. The court also heard that after the plane landed in Lahore, he reportedly threatened to blow up the five-star hotel where the flight crew was staying.
Despite the gravity of these threats, no immediate action was taken against Iftikhar in Pakistan. He was only arrested at his home in Iver, Buckinghamshire, after he returned from his holiday. At his sentencing at Isleworth Crown Court, the judge highlighted Iftikhar's "lengthy and appalling" criminal record, which included six previous convictions, among them a common assault.
Iftikhar, a father of three, is known for his extravagant lifestyle and public displays of wealth. He lives in a two-million-pound mansion in the UK with his first wife and children. Five years ago, he married Pakistani model Abeer Iftikhar, who subsequently retired from the modeling industry.
